For waiverable offenses (those that can be paid in lieu of appearing) you must file a written request with the Clerk’s office prior to your court date.  The Clerk’s office can grant you a one-time continuance of either one (1) or two (2) weeks.  Anything beyond two (2) weeks will require the approval from a Judge or Magistrate.

For cases that have mandatory court appearances you must file a written request prior to your court date.  Your request will be submitted to the Judge/Magistrate for review.  It is your responsibility to check back with the court to find out the answer.

If you have a criminal conviction or had a criminal case that you were found not guilty of or had dismissed, you may be eligible to have it sealed or expunged.  There are certain requirements and limitations as to what can be sealed and when, therefore we strongly suggest you speak with an attorney or do research on your own before filing.

The Judge/Magistrate cannot speak to you about any case that is pending in the Court.  If you would like them to know something, that information must be put in writing and submitted to the Clerk’s office.  The Clerk’s office will process the paperwork and give it to the Judge/Magistrate for review.  Keep in mind anything submitted is considered public record.

The short answer is "NO".  Points are controlled and imposed by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.  If you are convicted of a traffic offense the court must report that conviction to the BMV; the BMV in turn accesses the points (if any) that are associated with the offense pursuant to their point schedule.  The court has no authority over points therefore it cannot and will not waive points.    

You are constitutionally guaranteed the right to represent yourself in court.  You cannot represent another person or business entity unless you are an attorney.  If you choose to represent yourself, you will be expected to present yourself and your case within the rules established by the Court and the law.  The Clerk’s office, Judges and Magistrates cannot give you legal advice.  If you have any questions, you should contact an attorney.

If you are unable to afford an attorney and are before the Court due to a traffic, criminal or a contempt citation and are facing the potential of serving jail time then you may request the Hancock County Public Defender’s office to represent you.   You must contact their office immediately to schedule an appointment to determine whether or not you financially qualify for their services.  The Public Defenders phone number is (419) 424-7276.  Their office is located at 100 E. Main Cross St, Suite 200, Findlay, OH 45840.

There are numerous reasons why a person’s license may be under suspension, likewise there are also numerous ways to go about getting driving privileges.  As a result, it is suggested that you contact our Clerk’s office so we can check your status with the BMV to better assist you in getting limited driving privileges.

This information is in the payment center. If you cannot find the information about your citation, contact the Traffic/Criminal Division at (419) 424-7141.

All drivers in Ohio are supposed to be insured.  If you were not properly insured when you received your citation, then it would be too late to obtain insurance to avoid further penalties.  If you did not have proper insurance, you will be receiving notification from the BMV in the near future that your license will be placed under a Non-Compliance Suspension.  Once you receive the notice you should contact the BMV or the Clerk’s office to determine what you need to do to either get valid again or to get limited driving privileges during the suspension.

If you posted the bond in person at the Clerk’s office or the Police Department you should have filled out a form indicating what happens with the bond when the case is completed.  If you posted bond over the phone or you did not fill out the form, then you will need to report to the Clerk’s office to fill out the form prior to the case being adjudicated.  The two choices on the form are as follows:

1) When this/these matter(s) is/are finally adjudicated, I expressly approve the application of this bond to any fines and court costs that are assessed, and if this Defendant has other fines or costs in the Findlay Municipal Court from previous offenses this bond money will be applied to the payment of those fines and costs.  If this Defendant is found Not Guilty of the offense(s) or the Contempt is dismissed/released, after the application of this bond to any other outstanding fines and court costs, the money should be returned to me at the address provided below.

2) When this/these matter(s) is/are finally adjudicated, I am formally requesting that a hearing be conducted before this bond is applied to any fines or court costs that may be owed by this Defendant.  The Notice of the hearing should be mailed to me at the address provided below unless I have notified the Court, in writing, of address changes.  I further state that if I do not appear for this hearing my failure to appear shall be my express approval to apply this bond to any fines or court costs that may be owed by this Defendant (pursuant to ORC 2937.40(B)).

If you are asking to have the bond returned before the case is adjudicated, then you will need to file a motion for the Judge to review.  In most cases a hearing will be held to determine whether or not the bond shall be returned and if so, whether or not the defendant should be remanded back into custody during the pendency of the case.

You are expected to appear in court on the date and time listed on the subpoena; failure to do so could result in a contempt of Court citation being issued against you.  Subpoenas can be issued by the Prosecutor, Defendant or Plaintiff (or their attorney).  If you have questions about the subpoena then you should contact the party that requested the subpoena to be issued.  The Court only processes the request therefore we do not have any information about the case or why you were subpoenaed.  If you do not know which party issued the subpoena we can provide you that information if you call our office.  If the hearing has been canceled or continued it is the responsibility of whoever subpoenaed you to notify you if you are no longer needed to appear.

If you choose to make a payment over the phone you will need to call 1-888-604-7888.  The call center is open 24/7. 

The operator will ask you for a Pay Location Code (PLC).  Please give them one of the codes below that corresponds to the reason you are making your payment.

a000el – Paying a waiverable Traffic/Criminal ticket before your court date.

a000en – Making a payment towards your outstanding fines and costs.

a000ej – Posting bond for someone who was just arrested and incarcerated on a new offense.

a000ek – Posting bond to have a bench warrant released.

a000ez – Making a payment towards a civil judgment or costs.

If you call and ask us we will tell you whether there is a warrant or not.  We can also tell you what needs done in order to resolve the warrant.  We will not recall any warrants until you either: Post the bond (if bond is permitted), appear voluntarily or are arrested by the arresting agency.

You must put your request in writing explaining why you need an extension.  Your request will be submitted to the Judge.  It is your responsibility to check back with the court to find out how the Judge ruled on your request.

Effective October 29, 2018, if your citation is marked showing you were allegedly distracted at the time the offense was committed then you will face an enhanced fine of $100.00 in addition to the normal bond amount.  Instead of paying the enhanced fine of $100.00 you may complete a free 1 hour online distracted driver course. 

• If you submit written proof of completion to the Court prior to paying your citation you will not need to pay the enhanced fine of $100.00.
• If you already paid the citation (including the enhanced fine) the Court will issue a refund for the enhanced fine if you complete the online course and provide proof to the court within 30 days of the date the citation was issued.  Refunds will be sent by mail to the last address provided to the Court.  No refunds will be issued after the 30 days have lapsed.

The distracted driver course can be found on the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicle’s Driver Training website at https://www.drivertraining.ohio.gov.

There are very specific legal rules and procedures for properly authenticating and admitting exhibits into the court’s record.  Displaying an exhibit and having it admitted to the court’s record are two completely different things.  If you are unsure of how to properly present an exhibit, you should contact legal counsel or do the appropriate legal research prior to your hearing.  The purpose of this document is to inform you of what types of devices may be utilized in the court room so you can properly prepare for your case.

You may bring exhibits in two ways: as something you can touch (like paper) or something digital (like a file on a computer).  If you have a digital exhibit that you want to present during your evidentiary hearing there are some procedural and technical factors you should be aware of. 

• It is your responsibility to properly prepare for your case in advance.  All your exhibits must be ready to go at the start of the hearing.  The court will not download or print exhibits for you.
• Each court room has a computer that shows digital files on a television for all the parties to easily view.  This computer is NOT connected to the internet, therefore any exhibits you wish to present must be downloaded to a compatible storage device prior to the hearing. 
• The computer is compatible with most USB storage devices and CD/DVD discs.  Photos and videos should be saved in commonly used formats.  Documents should be in PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, or Power Point formats.

If you don’t want to use the court’s computer, you may bring your own device to share your exhibit.  Just remember to bring any cables or adapters necessary for it to function.  If compatible, you may connect your device to the TV via a standard HDMI cable.

Be Advised: Any evidence that is presented will be temporarily retained by the Court.  This mainly pertains to the storage medium in which the exhibit is located on.  For instance, if the exhibit is stored on a USB flash drive then the flash drive will be retained.  If the evidence is stored directly on a device such as a cell phone or if a unique device is required to be used in order to view the exhibit, the Court will have to retain that device and any necessary login information needed to review the exhibit.  Exhibits will be retained until the case is finalized and any appeal periods have been exhausted, which could be 30 days or longer.  Exhibits can be retrieved from the court after that timeframe has lapsed.

If you call the Clerk's office we will give you this information; we just need your name and SSN. The balance we give you will be total of all fines and court costs currently owed.

Since it is public information, we will give you the information over the phone. You can also look it up on the website.  We do not do background checks over the phone.

All fees are posted on our website in the Forms/Documents section.  We will also give you this information over the phone if you prefer to call.

The license bureaus number is (419) 425-3313. There address is County Road 140, Findlay, Ohio 45840.

Their phone number is (419) 424-7276.  

IN PERSON: We accept cash, money orders, bank checks, personal checks from a local bank and credit cards (Visa and MasterCard).  Please note, an additional fee will be charged if you use a credit/debit card.

ONLINE: Payments may be made online via credit card using the Payment Center. Please note, an additional fee will be charged.

TELEPHONE: You can make payments over the telephone 24/7 using a credit card, please note, an additional fee will be charged.  If you choose to make a payment over the phone you will need to call 1-888-604-7888.  The operator will ask you for a Pay Location Code (PLC).  Please give them one of the codes below that corresponds to the reason you are making your payment.

a000el – Paying a waiverable Traffic/Criminal ticket before your court date.

a000en – Making a payment towards your outstanding fines and costs.

a000ej – Posting bond for someone who was just arrested and incarcerated on a new offense.

a000ek – Posting bond to have a bench warrant released.

a000ez – Making a payment towards a civil judgment or costs.

MAIL: DO NOT SEND CASH IN THE MAIL. If you would like a receipt mailed back to you, you will need to provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope along with your payment.  Make your check or money order payable to "Findlay Municipal Court" and mail it to the following address:

Findlay Municipal Court
P.O. BOX 826
Findlay, OH 45839

We will give you this information over the phone, but you can also look it up on our website. If you call the office, we need your name, SSN, or case number.

Prisoners are usually seen on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. and on Fridays at 10:30 a.m. We try our best to give an approximate time, however, due to updates and unpredictable schedule conflicts the court reserves the right to change these times without notice.  You may call the clerks office to verify if someone is on the schedule for the day.

Yes, if you know the proper procedures.  The Clerk’s office cannot give you any legal advice nor do they provide forms for this procedure.

Keep in mind you cannot represent another person or business entity unless you are an attorney.  If you choose to represent yourself, you will be expected to present yourself and your case within the rules established by the Court and the law.  The Clerk’s office, Judges and Magistrates cannot give you legal advice.  If you have any questions, you should contact an attorney.

More information is available under the Civil Department section.

The Judge/Magistrate cannot speak to you about any case that is pending in the Court.  If you would like them to know something, that information must be put in writing and submitted to the Clerk’s office.  The Clerk’s office will process the paperwork and give it to the Judge/Magistrate for review.  Keep in mind anything submitted is considered public record.

You are constitutionally guaranteed the right to represent yourself in court.  You cannot represent another person or business entity unless you are an attorney.  If you choose to represent yourself, you will be expected to present yourself and your case within the rules established by the Court and the law.  The Clerk’s office, Judges and Magistrates cannot give you legal advice.  If you have any questions, you should contact an attorney.

If you are unable to afford an attorney and are before the Court due to a traffic, criminal or a contempt citation and are facing the potential of serving jail time then you may request the Hancock County Public Defender’s office to represent you.   You must contact their office immediately to schedule an appointment to determine whether or not you financially qualify for their services.  The Public Defenders phone number is (419) 424-7276.  Their office is located at 100 E. Main Cross St, Suite 200, Findlay, OH 45840.

If you call the Civil department we will give you the information.  Please have your case number available so we can find your case quicker.  You may also look up service information on our website.

Yes, the Judges can perform marriage ceremonies in the Findlay Municipal Court.

If you are interested in scheduling a wedding, please review the following information:

• At least one party to the ceremony must be a current resident of Hancock County, Ohio.
• Ceremonies are performed on the second Friday of each month (excluding holidays) between 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM as the schedule permits.
• Ceremonies must be scheduled in advance and a non-refundable security deposit of $50.00 shall be paid at the time of scheduling the ceremony on the Court’s docket.
• Both parties shall bring a photo ID along with their marriage license to the ceremony. Proper dress code is required of all attendees to the ceremony.

To schedule a wedding, please contact the Court at 419-424-7143.

If you posted the bond in person at the Clerk’s office or the Police Department you should have filled out a form indicating what happens with the bond when the case is completed.  If you posted bond over the phone or you did not fill out the form, then you will need to report to the Clerk’s office to fill out the form prior to the case being adjudicated.  The two choices on the form are as follows:

1) When this/these matter(s) is/are finally adjudicated, I expressly approve the application of this bond to any fines and court costs that are assessed, and if this Defendant has other fines or costs in the Findlay Municipal Court from previous offenses this bond money will be applied to the payment of those fines and costs.  If this Defendant is found Not Guilty of the offense(s) or the Contempt is dismissed/released, after the application of this bond to any other outstanding fines and court costs, the money should be returned to me at the address provided below.

2) When this/these matter(s) is/are finally adjudicated, I am formally requesting that a hearing be conducted before this bond is applied to any fines or court costs that may be owed by this Defendant.  The Notice of the hearing should be mailed to me at the address provided below unless I have notified the Court, in writing, of address changes.  I further state that if I do not appear for this hearing my failure to appear shall be my express approval to apply this bond to any fines or court costs that may be owed by this Defendant (pursuant to ORC 2937.40(B)).

If you are asking to have the bond returned before the case is adjudicated, then you will need to file a motion for the Judge to review.  In most cases a hearing will be held to determine whether or not the bond shall be returned and if so, whether or not the defendant should be remanded back into custody during the pendency of the case.

You are expected to appear in court on the date and time listed on the subpoena; failure to do so could result in a contempt of Court citation being issued against you.  Subpoenas can be issued by the Prosecutor, Defendant or Plaintiff (or their attorney).  If you have questions about the subpoena then you should contact the party that requested the subpoena to be issued.  The Court only processes the request therefore we do not have any information about the case or why you were subpoenaed.  If you do not know which party issued the subpoena we can provide you that information if you call our office.  If the hearing has been canceled or continued it is the responsibility of whoever subpoenaed you to notify you if you are no longer needed to appear.

If you choose to make a payment over the phone you will need to call 1-888-604-7888.  The call center is open 24/7. 

The operator will ask you for a Pay Location Code (PLC).  Please give them one of the codes below that corresponds to the reason you are making your payment.

a000el – Paying a waiverable Traffic/Criminal ticket before your court date.

a000en – Making a payment towards your outstanding fines and costs.

a000ej – Posting bond for someone who was just arrested and incarcerated on a new offense.

a000ek – Posting bond to have a bench warrant released.

a000ez – Making a payment towards a civil judgment or costs.

If you call and ask us we will tell you whether there is a warrant or not.  We can also tell you what needs done in order to resolve the warrant.  We will not recall any warrants until you either: Post the bond (if bond is permitted), appear voluntarily or are arrested by the arresting agency.

There are very specific legal rules and procedures for properly authenticating and admitting exhibits into the court’s record.  Displaying an exhibit and having it admitted to the court’s record are two completely different things.  If you are unsure of how to properly present an exhibit, you should contact legal counsel or do the appropriate legal research prior to your hearing.  The purpose of this document is to inform you of what types of devices may be utilized in the court room so you can properly prepare for your case.

You may bring exhibits in two ways: as something you can touch (like paper) or something digital (like a file on a computer).  If you have a digital exhibit that you want to present during your evidentiary hearing there are some procedural and technical factors you should be aware of. 

• It is your responsibility to properly prepare for your case in advance.  All your exhibits must be ready to go at the start of the hearing.  The court will not download or print exhibits for you.
• Each court room has a computer that shows digital files on a television for all the parties to easily view.  This computer is NOT connected to the internet, therefore any exhibits you wish to present must be downloaded to a compatible storage device prior to the hearing. 
• The computer is compatible with most USB storage devices and CD/DVD discs.  Photos and videos should be saved in commonly used formats.  Documents should be in PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, or Power Point formats.

If you don’t want to use the court’s computer, you may bring your own device to share your exhibit.  Just remember to bring any cables or adapters necessary for it to function.  If compatible, you may connect your device to the TV via a standard HDMI cable.

Be Advised: Any evidence that is presented will be temporarily retained by the Court.  This mainly pertains to the storage medium in which the exhibit is located on.  For instance, if the exhibit is stored on a USB flash drive then the flash drive will be retained.  If the evidence is stored directly on a device such as a cell phone or if a unique device is required to be used in order to view the exhibit, the Court will have to retain that device and any necessary login information needed to review the exhibit.  Exhibits will be retained until the case is finalized and any appeal periods have been exhausted, which could be 30 days or longer.  Exhibits can be retrieved from the court after that timeframe has lapsed.

Since it is public information, we will give you the information over the phone. You can also look it up on the website.  We do not do background checks over the phone.

All fees are posted on our website in the Forms/Documents section.  We will also give you this information over the phone if you prefer to call.

Depending on the type of case you're filing, the amounts are as follows: 

For cases filed on the regular civil docket the maximum you can seek is $15,000.00 

For cases filed in Small Claims or in the Citizens Settlement Program the maximum is $6,000.00.

IN PERSON: We accept cash, money orders, bank checks, personal checks from a local bank and credit cards (Visa and MasterCard).  Please note, an additional fee will be charged if you use a credit/debit card.

ONLINE: Payments may be made online via credit card using the Payment Center. Please note, an additional fee will be charged.

TELEPHONE: You can make payments over the telephone 24/7 using a credit card, please note, an additional fee will be charged.  If you choose to make a payment over the phone you will need to call 1-888-604-7888.  The operator will ask you for a Pay Location Code (PLC).  Please give them one of the codes below that corresponds to the reason you are making your payment.

a000el – Paying a waiverable Traffic/Criminal ticket before your court date.

a000en – Making a payment towards your outstanding fines and costs.

a000ej – Posting bond for someone who was just arrested and incarcerated on a new offense.

a000ek – Posting bond to have a bench warrant released.

a000ez – Making a payment towards a civil judgment or costs.

MAIL: DO NOT SEND CASH IN THE MAIL. If you would like a receipt mailed back to you, you will need to provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope along with your payment.  Make your check or money order payable to "Findlay Municipal Court" and mail it to the following address:

Findlay Municipal Court
P.O. BOX 826
Findlay, OH 45839

We will give you this information over the phone, but you can also look it up on our website. If you call the office, we need your name, SSN, or case number.